Mayor Ava Frisinger proclaimed March 18-22 as Fix a Leak Week in Issaquah, and residents can do their part to conserve water.
Each year during national Fix a Leak Week, Cascade Water Alliance and the City of Issaquah Office of Sustainability provide a leak-detection mailer to residents so they can check their toilets for leaks.
The kit includes a leak detection dye that will allow residents to check toilets for costly leaks in as few as 15 minutes. Cascade Water Alliance estimates Issaquah residents save about 100,000 gallons of water each year by checking their plumbing fixtures.
Nationwide, more than 1 trillion gallons of drinking water leak from our homes each year. The average American home wastes more than 100,000 gallons of water per year from running toilets and dripping faucets.
Each year, leaking toilets waste millions of gallons of valuable drinking water in King County alone, raising customer bills, and placing additional strain on water and waste water infrastructure and water supplies. Groundwater systems, like Issaquah’s, also experience unnecessary pumping, which wastes money and energy, and creates more greenhouse gas emissions.
A simple leak test will reveal if a toilet is leaking. In most cases, leaks are caused by worn out flappers that are inexpensive and easy to replace. So, watch for the leak detection mailer coming during national Fix a Leak Week. Use the dye and start saving water, energy and money right away.
WaterSense, a U.S Environmental Protection Agency program, is teaming with partners to promote the fifth annual Fix a Leak Week. The goal is to promote water efficiency and encourage simple steps we can all take to promote water conservation by reminding citizens to check their plumbing fixtures and irrigation system for leaks.
Check your toilets for leaks, tighten pipe connections and replace the fixtures if necessary. WaterSense offers more information to save water and prevent leaks:
• Discover facts and figuresabout leaks.• Take the WaterSense Pledgeto fix a leak, or send the link to a friend.
• Find out what you can doto save water.
Water efficiency promotes sensible water use, which saves water, energy and money. Fixing household water leaks can save homeowners more than 10 percent on their water bills. Less water wasted means more water is available for lakes, rivers, streams, wildlife and recreation.